The 2011 Chevy Volt, primarily an electric (or hybrid) vehicle is advertised as requiring 10 to 12 hours of charging at 110 volts. If the charging current is between 15-30 amperes of current @ 110 volts, the power is on the order of 1650 to 3300 watts per hour. If the charge is 10-12 hours, one can multiply by the number of hours to produce the kilowatt hours. While charging is available to some people in their homes/garages, it presents a problem to apartment dwellers and to people who do not have access to a charging system. Accordingly, making charging systems available through parking meters or charging stations is highly desirable.
Remote power stations may be useful to supplement or as an alternative to the home recharging concept. Solar power does not require the installation of power lines for supply of power to remote charging stations.
Background solar powered devices include U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/025,737 entitled “SOLAR-POWERED LIGHT POLE AND LED LIGHT FIXTURE,” hereby incorporated by reference, which discloses a solar-powered lighting system that includes a flexible, wrap-around, preferably self-stick panel of photovoltaic laminate applied to the outside surface of a light pole. An LED light fixture is connected preferably at or near the top of the pole and has the same or similar diameter as the pole. The LED light fixture has multiple columns and rows of LEDs and an interior axial space for air flow to cool the LEDs. The pole preferably also has vents and axial passage(s) for creating a natural updraft through at least a portion of the pole and the light fixture, for cooling of the photovoltaic panel interior surface, the LEDs, and/or other equipment inside the fixture or pole, and batteries that may be provided inside the pole or pole base.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2006/0149607, hereby incorporated by reference, discloses means for programming and controlling an LED assembly using a programmable controller and feedback means.
Once the electric vehicle leaves the owner's charging facility, the range of travel is limited by the amount of charge in the batteries of the vehicle. There is a need for an auxiliary power source to enable recharging of electric vehicles at remote locations.